One
by Kitty Smith
Summary: What if Gaara didn't live his life alone? What if he had one constant? One friend? A friend for which his feelings continue to deepen and surprise him... GaaOC HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Gaara cried as the sands swirled around him, '_How did I _get_ here? My father… He… And Yashamaru…'_

'_Gaara sat near a group of kids his age who were playing a game with a black and white ball. He dangled his legs off the edge of a short bluff. "Gaara."_

_Gaara turned to see a young girl the same age as him, five. She had long black hair and a matching dress. "Yuri…?"_

_She skipped over to him and sat down beside him, putting the beat up teddy bear on her other side, "Why don't you ask to play?"_

_He looked down at them, "…They won't let me…"_

_Yuri scowled down at the teams as they went back and forth with the ball; she stuck out her tongue, "Bleeeeeh!"'_

Gaara's eyes strained in the blackness surrounding him, and he thought he heard someone call his name.

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**So, this is obviously my first fanfic, and none of the other chapters in this should be this short, so please bear with me and read on!**

**DISCLAIMER- I do not own anything in this story except for Yuri....**

**Gaara- ...I don't like this.**

**Me- *fiddles with hair* Weeeeell, I couldn't help it... I wanted to see what you'd look like when you were in love! ^^;;**

**Yuri- What?!**

**Gaara and Me- NOTHING!!! NOTHING AT ALL!!!**

**Yuri-... Why don't I believe you?**

**Gaara- Because your creator is a lying git.**

**Yuri- Ah.**

**Me- ... You accepted that well... T_T**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.... Except Yuri-but she doesn't count... (Yuri- HEY!)**

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_Gaara thought he heard someone calling his name..._

A light, but slightly rough voice called out to him, "Gaara?"

Gaara sucked in his breath through his teeth and, not opening his eyes, replied in his normal monotonous tone, "What happened?"

He opened his eyes to see fifteen-year-old Yuri hovering over him. He tried to sit up, but she pushed him back down, "You were having a bad dream."

"I slept?" He sat up again, daring Yuri with his eyes to even _try_ to push him back down.

"Well, I thought… Since you normally don't…"

"I told you to wake me up if I ever fell asleep."

Yuri flinched, knowing she had completely ignored his wishes, "Explain that to me again?"

Gaara remained silent, getting off the cot and putting on his sand gourd.

"I had an idea…?" Yuri offered tentatively, forcing Gaara to respond.

"…Yes?"

"Maybe you should write it all down, you know, like a di- journal." Gaara turned his eyes to her and Yuri continued, fiddling with her hair, "Kankuro and Temari were worried about you…"

"No."

"Yes, they were!" Yuri crossed her arms.

"No." Gaara glanced at her and resumed his walking.

Yuri sighed and followed, "Where are you going?"

Gaara took a few more steps before answering, "To the… …Kazekage's…"

"WHY?"

"To get… A mission…"

Yuri threw her hands up in the air, and sighed, "You're not on duty."

Gaara stopped walking.

"Not telling you until you ask."

Gaara slowly turned to look at her. "…Why?"

"Why _what?_"

"…Why am I off duty…?"

Yuri smirked, "Because the Kazekage thinks you need to _rest_." She held out a journal, as if out of thin air, "Write in this for a while!"

"You're persistent…"

Yuri flashed a smile, "That's why you love me!"

Gaara blinked, and then looked down at the journal, "…Why should I write in this?"

"To get it all out!" Yuri grinned, "You know, to sort through your thoughts!" Gaara thought for a moment, and then took the notebook. Yuri squealed with joy, "Yes! Not only will this help you, and, I promise not to look, but also Kankuro owes me ten bucks! Thanks Gaara!" She put a pencil in his hand and gave him a "Write-in-it-or-die" kind of look, and then she scurried off to harass Kankuro for her money in a style similar to the yakuza.

Gaara turned the kitten-covered pencil over in his hand and walked back into his room. Closing the door he began to write:

_My name is Gaara._

He paused, unsure what to write.

_Yuri gave this to me. I don't know what to write in it._

He decided to just write down whatever came into his head about it.

_She suggested it to me this morning when she woke me up from a dream where I was trapped in black. And reliving a childhood memory._

Gaara frowned,

_This is imbecilic. I am a Jinchuuriki. I live for and love only myself. I don't have to do this just because Yuri asked._ Faintly irritated at himself, Gaara closed the journal and strode out of the room, he would practice in his spare time, not idiotically write down his thoughts where people could find them.

Yuri finally gave up on the purple-tattooed Kankuro and decided to get her money at a later date. She pranced through the halls, searching for Gaara. She normally followed him around like a puppy but had thought that money trumped watching Gaara write something she wasn't to read. When she realized he was no longer in his rooms, and not even in the building, she scowled and jogged to the nearest training grounds. _'Yup. There he is.' _Yuri sighed, _'This is _supposed_ to be his time _off_!'_ She sat down and watched him as he shot sand kunai after sand kunai into the trees. His short red hair whipped around with his movements and his blank eyes would barely narrow when he missed a tree. The outfit he wore was unusual, one that Yuri had bought and simply put in his closet, knowing it was unlikely he'd ever wear it. The pants were tan jeans and the shirt was black with red stripes. As always, he had that damn sand gourd slung over his back and Yuri sighed. _'He could at least change the shape into something more fashionable. Or less intimidating… But then I guess it's sort of his _job_ to be intimidating…'_ She rested her head on her hand and drank in the sight of Gaara in clothing that _fit_ him. His muscles rippled on his slim frame as he moved and Yuri smiled happily. She felt so warm and happy as she sat in the sun watching him that she soon fell into a contented sleep.

Gaara stopped training, sweaty and panting, he had trained for hours and the sun was a dim ember on the horizon. He reshaped his gourd and noticed a slumped figure at the edge of the training grounds. The wind blew and he recognized the black hair twisting on the breeze. "…Yuri?" She didn't even flinch when he called her name. Gaara suddenly felt a little colder and he lengthened his stride across the ground. He knelt down in front of her and saw she had fallen asleep. The extra cold seemed to go away as he watched her shoulders rise and fall. Gaara prodded her shoulder gently, "Wake up, Yuri." No response. "Yuri, the sun is going down." Not even a fidget. Gaara looked around to see if there was anyone to take Yuri home before mentally cursing himself. _'I love only me, I care for only me.' _He repeated this in his mind like a mantra, willing himself to get up and walk away. _'But isn't she like a younger me? Innocent and naïve?'_ Gaara looked at her peaceful face with her lips slightly open. He found himself leaning in and shook his head violently, _'She is a symbol of myself. My younger self. Which is why it is fine to protect her and care- Which is why it is fine to protect her.'_ She had her knees curled up to her chest and her head on her knees. Gaara slid one of his arms under her knees and the other supported her back as he lifted her up.

She stirred for a moment and her arms went around his neck as she snuggled closer to him. Gaara felt… Odd. _'She's just reacting to my body heat, or is dreaming about someone else.'_ Yuri seemed to fall into a deeper sleep, but not before murmuring, "Gaara…" Gaara felt that he would be blushing furiously if not for years of suppressing emotion. _'I don't… Know _what_ to think…'_ Her rooms were next to his (something she requested) so he at least knew where to bring her. His long strides got him to the building where most of the ninjas of The Village Hidden In The Sand lived quickly.

As Gaara entered the building, using the sand to open the doors for him, he nearly ran into Kankuro, who, upon seeing a limp Yuri in his arms exclaimed, "Did you kill her?! I thought you liked her!"

Gaara scowled, or at least, stared more intensely at Kankuro, "I did not. She is asleep."

Kankuro nodded, calming down, as Temari opened her door (she was on the first floor) and looked up, "WHAT THE- IS YURI DEAD?!"

'_At least she didn't ask if _I_ killed her…'_ "No. She is asleep."

Temari clutched her chest and hyperventilated for a moment before regaining her composure- "Oh." –Sort of. Gaara walked past the two of them without another thought in their direction and began climbing the three flights of stairs, it was surprisingly easy and Gaara found himself wondering how much she weighed. He shook his head and attempted to expel the thoughts the way a dog does water. As he climbed the stairs, a thought hit him with the mental equivalent of a baseball hitting him in the face, _'Why don't I just use the sand to put her into her room?_' His grip on her tightened, and he felt something like regret at the thought. Dismissing the idea completely, he continued upwards. Once he made it up to the fourth floor, he used the sand to fit her lock and open her door. Inside was a sea of black and red, and Gaara wondered vaguely if she was suffering some kind of split personality disorder, as the Yuri _he_ knew was hyper and insufferably cheerful. In her bedroom was a simple twin bed with a black comforter and dark wood floors. The walls were deep red, with a bulletin board framed in gray. Pictures of Yuri and Gaara adorned it, along with little "To-Do" lists. Gaara nearly grimaced at the one where she had managed to get a bow in his hair. The sand stripped the covers off the bed and he laid her down gently, and then tugged off her sandals. Gaara paused for a moment, and then pulled the blankets over her himself, not allowing himself to use the sand. Her blue-black hair spread over the pillow and her skin seemed like ivory in all the black. Once again he found himself leaning over her, as if to kiss her. He shot out of the room and into his own rooms next door, locking the doors with sand behind him.

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**Like I said before, this probably is horrible, but still- please read and review! **

**Yuri- I _liked_ the photo with the bow in your hair!**

**Gaara- ...No.**

**Me- Didn't expect _that_ now, did you? *fwahahahahahahahaha* REVENGE!**

**Gaara- ...You're still a lying git...**

**Me- *curls up in ball of depression***


	3. Chapter 3

**I've decided that for all the stories I will write/ am writing, I will dedicate them to the first (positive) reviewer. (Although if I dedicated it to a flamer to bug them, that could be fun too) So, this story is now dedicated to GaarasGirl.**

**Answers to review: (yes review)**

**GaarasGirl: Thanks! You've really lifted my mood about the story. Cute wasn't exactly what I was going for, but I might as well stick with it, as people have told me that cute is, "my style." *hands over plate of virtual cookies for reviewing***

Yuri stretched when Gaara left the room, and she opened her eyes with a smile. '_I think he likes me too…'_ A quiet sense of elation rose within her, warming her from the inside out. "Yes!" She squealed softly, rolling over and shoving her face into her pillow. She had woken up about halfway up the stairs. She glowed cherry red as a grin split her face, '_There's hope…'_

Gaara leaned against the inside of his door for no more than a second before sitting down on his bed. _'Why did I _do_ that?'_ He ran a hand through his red hair, _'If I… It doesn't make sense! I care for no one. Nothing. Not one iota of compassion. I could kill her if I wanted to.'_ Even as he thought it he flinched away from the mental image; the hurt and betrayal that would be on her face. His gaze landed on the journal. _'It'd give me something to do…'_ Reaching over to the wooden desk where he had left it, he picked up the kitten-coated pencil and blue notebook. Opening it, he saw his last entry,

_I live for and love only myself. I don't have to do this just because Yuri asked._

Gaara paused, then set pencil to paper,

_I am going to write out my memories. I will do this to discover why I act oddly around Yuri. And because it will at least occupy my attention._

He stopped and decided to start at the beginning,

_A sand demon was sealed in me before I was born. By my father, the Kazekage. I was raised with people who looked at me with fear and hate. Only fear and hate. There were only two people who did not look at me that way, Yuri and_

Gaara twitched and continued,

_My uncle, Yashamaru. Yashamaru helped to raise me, since I killed my mother by being born, and my father despised me. He told me that the sand was my mother's will, protecting me, and that he loved me, too. He introduced me to Yuri, and said it would be hard to scare her off. I still can remember everything perfectly. Yuri was around the same height as me at that point. Her hair seemed like pure black but had red highlights when the light hit it. She had very pale skin, which seemed paler in comparison to her hair and the fact that she always wore black (and still does). The outfits she wore were _

Gaara tried to remember how Yuri had described it,

_A style called, "gothic lolita." Though, I still do not see the reason she is so in love with black. We were five years old when we met, and she literally ran up to me and began pestering me for information about myself- but not the sand demon. I was very young and naïve, I still believed that I should love other people, and wanted people to love _me_, so I did not brush her off like I should have. Instead, I answered her questions, surprised and happy someone was asking about _me_ and not the demon. Happy someone could overlook the fact that I am a jinchuuriki and see me as a human. I see now that she is merely insane, and obviously out of touch with reality. Back then, though. She seemed like a lifesaver tossed into stormy waters._

Gaara lost himself in memories as his hand moved across the page as if independent from himself.

----FLASHBACK----

"Gaara-kun?" Yashamaru's voice woke Gaara from his light doze, ruining the only sleep he had gotten that month.

"Wha, Yashamaru?" The little boy slurred as he rubbed his eyes.

"Someone out here wants to meet you!" Yashamaru called from the front room of the house they lived in together. Gaara hopped down from the windowsill and walked through the dome-shaped, sand-colored rooms into the front room. Upon walking into the room, he spotted a girl who looked around his age bouncing up and down happily on the light brown couch. When she caught his gaze, she squealed with delight and quite literally pounced on him.

"What are you-" Gaara began angrily, utterly confused.

"Shh!" She said, putting a hand over his mouth, then placing her ear on his chest. For a few seconds there was silence. Suddenly the pale-skinned girl lept onto her feet and proclaimed, "Your heartbeat is just like mine! So you're a person, too!" Gaara lay there on the floor, propped up on his elbows, mouth open like a fish. "See, people were spreading silly rumors that you weren't human, but that you still look, talk, and act like a human 'cause you need to disguise yourself. You have a human heartbeat though, so they're wrong." She grinned, pleased at her discovery.

"Introduce yourself, Yuri." Yashamaru smiled.

"Oh yeah, I'm Izumi Yuri, doesn't that sound really weird?" She held out her hand and Gaara took it.

"I am- just Gaara." He broke the handshake and Yuri hopped up and down.

"Let's go play a game, Gaara!" She grabbed his hand again and dragged him away. When Gaara sent a puzzled look at Yashamaru, Yashamaru just waved them on. Yuri dragged him out of the house and down the streets until they got to a greenhouse that Gaara had passed on his way to kindergarten- before they kicked him out. Yuri pulled the reluctant Gaara into the humid greenhouse and plopped down on the floor, forcing Gaara down with her. "Okay, here's how we play, we ask each other questions until we get to one the other person can't answer or you run out of questions." Gaara nodded slowly, not sure what to make of this hyperactive little girl. "Me first!" She tapped her chin seriously, "Okay…" Gaara steeled himself for a question about the sand demon when Yuri spoke, "What's your favorite color?"

Gaara blinked, "What?"

"What's your favorite color?" Yuri repeated, a bit indignently this time.

Gaara, staring at Yuri's sapphire eyes, was about to say red, but blurted, "Blue."

Yuri nodded, as if this was the most important thing she could possibly be doing, "Your turn!"

"Umm… What is _your_ favorite color?"

Yuri thought for a minute, "Well, I like red and orange and green and purple and blue and yellow and brown and pink and white and black… So I guess those're my favorites!" She beamed and Gaara refrained from pointing out the fact that those were nearly _all_ the colors. "Okay…" Gaara could see a pattern emerging as Yuri continued. "What… is your favorite thing to do for fun?"

Gaara paused, momentarily shocked that he couldn't think of fun things he liked to do, after all, all the other kids had things they thought were fun. An idea swam to the front of his mind, "I like… to read."

"Ah, me too!" After an hour and a half of this, Yuri jumped up out of the blue, "I need to get home! My sister will be worried!" Gaara watched her run to the front of the greenhouse, wondering if she'd just leave his life like everything else that ever made him the slightest bit happy. Stopping at the door, she turned towards Gaara, "I'll see you in school! Yashamaru said you're gonna go ta' mine now!" Yuri sprinted out the door with a harried, "Bye-bye!"

Gaara felt a feeling of warmth spread through him when he realized her words meant she wanted to see him again, and for the first time in a long time, the little boy walked home with a smile on his face.

----END FLASHBACK----

_…And we met at the greenhouse nearly everyday after school for weeks, but then one day, over a weekend, I was watching some kids play a game…_

----FLASHBACK----

Gaara sat near a group of kids his age who were playing a game with a black and white ball. He dangled his legs off the edge of a short bluff. "Gaara."

Gaara turned to see a young girl the same age as him, five. She had long black hair and a matching dress. "Yuri…?"

She skipped over to him and sat down beside him, putting the beat up teddy bear on her other side, "Why don't you ask to play?"

He looked down at them, "…They won't let me…"

Yuri scowled down at the teams as they went back and forth with the ball; she stuck out her tongue, "Bleeeeeh!

Gaara felt the corners of his lips twitch upwards momentarily, before looking back down at the game and sighing. Suddenly, there was a shout, and the ball landed right in Gaara's lap.

Yuri blinked at the ball, and then grinned, "Why don't you go give the ball back to them? Maybe they'll be all happy and let you play! And then we can all play together!"

Gaara briefly wondered if she was right, and decided he might as well try. He walked down the other side of the bluff and hesitantly approached the players, "U- umm. I- I found your ball…" The red-haired little boy smiled weakly as he held out the ball.

The teams suddenly united, all traces of rivalry gone, and as one, they looked at him in disgust and fear. One dirty blonde girl shouted, "Keep it!" Before attempting to run away. Gaara though, had already tuned them out, and could only see the fear in their eyes. _Why does everyone look at me like that? WHY DOES EVERYONE HAVE THOSE EYES? I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE ANYMORE!!!! _Sand whipped around him, before shooting out tendrils to trap the retreating football(not American)-players. He stood silently, tears streaming down his cheeks, and appeared disturbingly unrelated to the chaotic scene around him. As another sand tendril shot out, a flash of gray, tan and gold dashed in front. It was Yashamaru, blocking the sand with his arms, his purple eyes flashing. And that's when Gaara saw something he never wanted to see in Yashamaru's eyes. Fear. "Yash… Yashamaru?" Gaara's eyes cleared for all of a second before growing more and more hopeless and glazed. Suddenly soft arms embraced him from behind, and he felt a light weight on his shoulder.

"C- calm down. You don't want to hurt them, do you?" Gaara turned his head towards the voice in his ear and saw Yuri, tears streaming down her own face. Surprisingly, the emotions there… Were only concern and melancholy. Gaara slowly lifted his hands to hold tightly onto the arms encasing him.

"Yuri…" His eyes cleared, and after a few seconds of shock, he began sobbing and repeating, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

----END FLASHBACK----

_…I remember she came with me when I tried to give the people I injured medicine. First I would go up and attempt to give it to them, then they would throw it down or slam the door, and then she would always go up and scold them right afterwards, causing not only me to flush with embarrassment about her… Yuri is definitely out of her mind- she's not afraid of me. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanksall who read, and a special thanks to Gaaras1Girl, who reviewed and to whom this is dedicated. Please r & r. Or take my poll!**

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Gaara mentally sighed. The words did not seem to help him figure out his feelings towards Yuri. He contemplated simply giving up before half-heartedly deciding to finish what he had started. To kill time, if nothing else.

_Nothing of immense import happened for nearly a year. We spoke most every day, played odd games she seemed to make up on the spot, and 'wondered.'_

Gaara continued writing as he relived one of the odder conversations, which had been preceded by an event that made his blood boil to this very day.

----FLASHBACK----

Six year old Gaara walked quickly, you could call it a jog if he were bouncing with his steps, towards the greenhouse which had become a sort of base for himself and Yuri. He nearly smiled just thinking about his friend. His _friend._ Gaara opened the greenhouse door with a faint twitching of his lips as if they were fighting to curve upwards. Events, though, conspired to make that potential smile slide off his face- replaced by a feral snarl.

"Gaara!" Yuri cried, on the ground with one arm supporting her and the other being wrenched behind her back by a boy with dark brown hair and similarly colored eyes. Gaara met first Yuri's eyes, then her attackers. The contrast was competition to the stark opposing views of a serial killer and a hippie. Yuri's startlingly blue eyes were torn with pain, and a trickle of blood marred the porcelain-like skin they rested in. The boy, Gaara didn't bother learning their names anymore, had a sort of mad glee burning fiercely in his muddy globes.

"Let go of her," Gaara heard himself growl. His feet automatically spread a bit for a sturdier position.

"No! You deserve to suffer, and since I can't hurt you through you, I'll get _her_!" The boy spat mockingly, all the while sneering, he believed that "Gaara" wasn't _nearly_ as dangerous as some people said. Just a weird little freak who deserved to be put in his place- and since the sand protected _him_…

Gaara saw red. "Then you die." Sand shot around Gaara and straight for the boy, seemingly solidifying as it arched through the air. The sand impaled the brat, and blood gushed out of his chest as he fell to his knees and his eyes went blank.

Yuri did not seem to notice, and she leapt at Gaara, her arms going around his waist and her face buried in his chest. "Gaara," she sobbed, "Gaara…" Gaara, after his shock and discomfort wore off, found himself clutching at her nearly as desperately as she did to him.

"Yuri." He whispered, placing his cheek against the top of her head. They sat there for what seemed to be a moment, and yet an eternity at once. Gaara felt a belated and horrible fear rise in him, and was doubly grateful his best and only friend was still here with him. Yuri's decreasing sobs were the only sound until they had trailed off into a few sniffs. She looked up at Gaara and he asked, sounding strained, "Are you okay? Where did he hurt you?"

Yuri's brows drew together and as the blood from her head reached her throat, bitter enlightenment reached her face, "Oh. He hit me."

The young boy surpressed a growl and held her at arm's length, "Where?" Yuri winced at the fury on his face and turned around, lifting up the back of her shirt. At the sharp intake of breath behind her, it looked bad. Gaara surveyed the large purpling bruises, and tentatively traced one. Yuri flinched and let the shirt drop as she turned around. "I understand that you don't want to be friends anymore and-"

Yuri paled, and then her brows drew down in anger, "You dumbo! Why would I stop being friends with you?"

Gaara blinked, unprepared. "Well, you just got hurt because of me, and I just hurt someone else-" He broke off, as an uneasy thought drifted at the edges of his awareness. He grasped at it and it floated to the surface of his mind. He gasped sharply and sank down on the floor. Yuri followed him to the ground, wincing at the sudden movement. "I'm-" he croaked. Gaara cleared his throat and tried again, "I'm a- I'm a murderer." Shaking hands gripped his skull as he began to rock back and forth.

Yuri started crying and so did he, but Yuri grabbed and interlocked their hands. "We can go tell Yashamaru-san what happened! He'll tell everyone it was only 'cause you were saving me!" Tears sparkled at the edge of her eyes and she swallowed, "And if anyone tries to make you look like the bad guy, we'll- we'll- We'll run away and get married!"

Gaara stopped crying, even as the tears already lost made their way down his cheeks. He gaped at her, "Married? Why- why would we get married?"

Tears continued down her cheeks and Yuri whispered, "That's what a boy and girl _do_ when they run away! And if we have to, we'll run away!" Gaara felt his heart warm at her use of 'we' when she did not have to stay with him at all for any reason other than that they were friends.

----END FLASHBACK----

_…It was unfortunate that the village did not see the incident in the same light Yuri did. Things probably would have gone on the way they were. I may have been delusioned, naïve, and lied to, but I had some happy times, too._

_'Mostly because of Yuri!'_ His traitorous mind happily supplied.

_Although that was a 'momentous' occasion, there was another, a turning point in which I broke free from my constraints. Underwent a pain so grand it transformed me, gave me new purpose. Taught me how to know I was alive._


	5. Chapter 5 part 1

**Sorry for the shortness, but it seemed like a good place to stop, I should have the rest up today. (Martimo: No she won't. Aiko: SHUT UP AND LET HER TRY! Anth: ...)**

**Still dedicated to Gaaras1Girl, and I STILL own nothing. Except Yuri, but who cares about her? XD (Yuri: Gaara's right. You're a scumbag. Me: He said that?! *sobs in a dark corner*)**

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Gaara continued to write as he was engulfed by the memories.

---FLASHBACK---

Gaara stared up at the moon as he hit his heels against the side of the building.

"Gaara?" Someone yawned. Gaara turned around and saw Yuri walking across the roof while rubbing one eye and continually yawning. She was wearing pink pajamas with teddy bear print, much like the teddy Gaara had on his lap. She came over and sat next to him, ignoring Gaara's stiffening as she rested her head on his shoulder. She yawned again. "Aren't you sposta _sleep_ at a slee'pover?" Yashamaru was out of town on business, so Yuri had escaped her parents and gone over to Gaara's. "What's so in'resting that you…" She yawned yet again, "…need to think THIS much 'bout it?"

Gaara shifted uneasily as she yawned (AGAIN) looped her arms around his waist, still uncomfortable with being touched. "I… Yashamaru talked to me before… Before he left…"

She nodded sleepily against his shoulder, "Wha' abou'?"

"Love… and pain…" Yuri blinked her bright eyes up at him.

"Oh… You haven't felt pain cuz o' the sand… But what about love?" She now had her chin on his shoulder, nose in his hair.

"I… _have_ felt pain…" He clutched the front of his shirt. "Yashamaru said… that love would heal it…" For a moment, he looked hopeful, but his expression fell, "He said _he_ loved me, but it can't be true…"

"Why na'? After all _I_ love you," Yuri admitted with the casualness given only to the very young. Gaara froze and Yuri took no notice of this, yawning and snuggling deeper into his shoulder. His arms came up hesitantly before gripping Yuri back, who made a pleased little murmur into his shoulder. He closed his eyes and one word seared through his brain, a thought the present-day Gaara had forgotten until this immersion in memories, _Mine._

The moment was not to last.


	6. Chapter 5 part 2

**Aaaaand here's part two! See, Martimo? *sticks tongue out childishly at muse* Martimo: *rolls eyes* Anth: Knew you could do it! Martimo: He just lost money in our bet. Me:*looks accusingly and hurt at Anth* Anth: He- I- *runs away***

**Dedicated to Gaaras1Girl, and I STILL do not own anything but Yuri and my plot bunnies. My RABID plot bunnies. *shakes one off hand and bandages bite mark***

* * *

The moment was not to last.

Gaara flinched as several shuriken (sp?) collided with his sand. He put Yuri- _his Yuri_- under a dome of sand, unthinkingly as he stood. He heard her furious pounding on the inside of it, but paid it no attention. _Why ME? _He reached out his hand, and the sand, like an obedient pet, mimicked his movements, _WHY MUST ALL THIS HAPPEN TO ME?!_ He caught sight of the ninja who must have thrown the shuriken and thrust out his arm making the sand rush towards the ninja, who managed to evade for a few moments- rising higher and higher in his leaps- before being coiled around by the snake-like sand, which then coalesced into a single mass. Gaara's fear and anger washed over his mind before being replaced by a cold certainty of what to do. He clamped his hand into a fist, and the sand followed suit, compacting sharply and causing spurts of blood to escape from the tight hold Gaara's sand had on the unknown ninja. He let the ninja drop ungracefully, and the coldness abandoned him as he tremblingly and hesitantly reached for the mask on the ninja.

---END FLASHBACK---

_…I remember well who was behind the mask, and how misplaced my affection for my uncle had been. I remember what he had told me about his true feelings about me, and I remember the sudden feeling that I was alive…_

_Once you finished crying,_ A little voice in his head reminded him.

… _I feel no need to write the rest, as I have figured out exactly my feelings towards Yuri. I feel as if she is my possession, and that is fine. It is not love, or protectiveness, or even gratitude, for what though, escapes me._

The voice taunted him, _No it doesn't 'escape you.' You know._ He ignored it and continued to write,

_I love no one except myself, and Yuri is mine. Simple as that. Mine._

He closed the notebook, unaware of how very like love his reactions towards her were, and set both it and the pencil on the bed. He stretched his fingers, not used to the strain of writing for long periods of time. _It is not as if they ever will be. I feel no desire to do this again._ Unable to sleep as always, he exited his room.

"Gaara!" Temari waved at him annoyingly, gesturing for him to come over. Had he not been Gaara, he would have sighed and walked over, being himself, though, he turned and walked in the opposite direction. Footsteps behind him alerted him to her prescence and he stopped to face the blond-haired shinobi.

He crossed his arm and tilted his head slightly to the side, as if saying, "What?"

She picked up on the nonverbal cue, "Why was Yuri-chan conked out?" She looked at him warily and the exasperation he had spared her before because she hadn't asked if he had killed her came back full force.

His voice, though, betrayed nothing. "She fell asleep." Gaara turned to walk out the door.

Temari, always too curious for her own good, followed, "Why did you bring her in? I always thought you were too cold of a bastard to care." He gave the Gaara equivalent of a shrug- he didn't answer. "Weeeelllll?" _Maybe she'll leave if I answer._

He stopped walking again and turned to look at her. A brief flare of panic crossed her face before smoothing into a casual expression of curiousity. "Yuri is mine." He walked out the door and made his way up to the roof, not taking the time to note the widening of Temari's green eyes as she froze in place. Several minutes passed before she again became aware of her surroundings and nearly disappeared in her haste to tell Kankuro. _Maybe he and I,_ Temari thought, _Can figure this out!_


	7. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO NOR ANY CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY OTHER THAN YURI. OOSHAY AWYERSLAY! **

**Dedicated to Gaaras1Girl, who I think of with guilt whenever I forget to type!**

**WARNING: Disturbing possessiveness will only get worse.**

* * *

Yuri looked up from her reading as she heard her apartment door open and close, and saw a familiar face. "Gaara?" Gaara turned a chair around so he was sitting on it backwards and placed his chin on the back of the chair. "Did something happen?" Gaara rolled his eyes, as much of an answer as she would get. "Okay… Did you want something?" Gaara closed his eyes and Yuri sighed. She put her book down on the table between them and gave a small warm smile- since she knew he couldn't tell what her expression was and therefore could not reject or belittle it. She glanced at the clock and realized it was around eleven thirty at night. She yelped, causing Gaara to slowly open his eyes. "Oh no, I have to be up at six tomorrow!" She would have noticed the faint smirk that flashed across Gaara's face if she was not fretting over the time and trying to figure out how to make herself sleep. Yuri dashed around the black and red apartment- gathering up papers before shoving them violently in folders, frantically wringing her hands, and glancing worriedly at the clock as she retreived the pages of her report to the Kazekage. Yuri paused in her wild rampage and looked at Gaara, "You don't have to stay here, you know, I know how much you hate… well… frenzies." Gaara stood silently, and after glancing at her, made his way over to the black sofa and lay down- turning away from her. Yuri blinked, and smiled blindingly before returning to her previous state of chaos.

(WHOOT INSERT A LINE HERE!)

"YURI-CHAN! WAKEY WAKEY!" Temari shouted at the closed door, trying to rouse their fourth member, and hoping that Gaara, the third, was not "home" next door. The blonde ninja ran a hand through one of her four short "pigtails" and took the human-sized fan off her back. "I SWEAR YURI-CHAN-"  
The door swung inward to reveal an irritated Gaara. He glanced at her before saying tonelessly and calmly, "She's frenzy-ing." He pivoted on his left foot and walked back into the apartment, taking up his previous position meditating… On the table…

"AAAAGH! TEMARI-CHAAAAAAAAAAN!" A blur of black smashed into Temari, knocking her off her feet and eliciting no response from the red-haired boy on the table. Yuri lifted her face to look at Temari with big blue puppy dog eyes, "I need help finding my report! Please help, Temari-chan, if anyone can find it, _you _can!" She pouted, and upped the power of her pleading eyes. From the sounds, Gaara deduced he should be pleased his eyes were closed.

"Well, Yuri-chan, I uh…" Temari closed her eyes to escape Yuri's begging gaze. After a few moments she peeked through the lashes of one eye- and gave in. "Oh, alright! But you owe me one!" Yuri jumped up in glee and clapped her hands together.

"Thank you, Temari-chan!"

"Yuri…" The gravelly, yet monotonous voice from the table interrupted Yuri's exclamations and praise of Temari. Gaara opened one eye, concealing the odd pang from hearing Yuri praise someone else like that under his aloof disinterested gaze. "…It's on your desk…"

Yuri's eyes lit up, "OH MY GOD, I COULD KISS YOU!" -and she dashed off to grab it, and appeared back in the kitchen/living room/dining room in a matter of seconds. "THANK YOU GAAAAAARAAAAAAAA!" She executed a flying pounce-tackle-glomp and was promptly surrounded by sand, but still gripping Gaara. "AGH! I WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD MEEEAAAT!" She kissed both of his cheeks loudly before releasing a somewhat stunned Gaara back to his meditation. "COME ON TEMARI-CHAN WE HAVE TO GOOO!" She grabbed the just-as-shocked Temari by the hand and whisked out of the apartment. The sudden silence was broken only by the rustling of sand against sand. Gaara had not removed his wide-eyed gaze from the door for several seconds and slowly raised his hands to his faintly pink cheeks. _What was _that_? Does she do that to everyone who helps her?_ His eyes narrowed, _If so, I must stop that behavior. No one can _touch_ what is mine except _me_._ Gaara let his hands drop to his lap and his brows drew inward and down. _Perhaps I should accompany her._ He got slowly to his feet and walked out of the gothic apartment and towards the Kazekage's office on the top floor. The building was designed so intruders had to get through all fourteen levels of the residential ninjas before they could get to the same _floor_ as the Kazekage- meaning, two sets of stairs on each floor, one up, one down, and each on different ends of the building- NO elevators. He began the long trek up at a calm jog.

(INSERT A NICE LINE HERE TO SIGNIFY THE PASSING OF TIME/CHANGING OF SCENE!)

Halfway up from the seventh floor (where Gaara and his team lived) Gaara caught up with Yuri and Temari, who had dragged Kankuro (a boy with purple make-up in odd angled lines across his face and black clothing) away from his puppets to turn in _his_ reports- plural.

"Hey, Gaara!" Yuri walked back a little to be next to him, leaving Temari with full Kankuro-dragging duty. Gaara nodded at each of them. Kankuro weakly waved and said something to Temari that made her whack him on the head with her formidable fan. Yuri pulled Gaara up towards their teammates and Temari hit her in the shoulder playfully for leaving her with Kankuro. Gaara's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. Inside, some suppressed part of him was shrieking for him to remove the hand that touched Yuri. Yuri stuck her tongue out at the blonde and Temari let go of Kankuro. She lunged at Yuri, grinning evilly and attempting to tackle her. The shrieking in Gaaara's head grew louder and he winced. Temari did not even brush against Yuri, so quickly did she dodge. Eventually, though, her natural clumsiness showed up and she tripped and fell. Temari laughed and reached down to help her up.

Sand bloomed between their hands.

Gaara blinked in surprise, and when Yuri looked at him curiously, he shrugged, his expression comical in his confusion. His brow was crumpled where "between" his eyebrows would have been.

Kankuro raised an eyebrow at Gaara, although a spasm of fear preceded it. "Gaara, what was that all about?"

Gaara turned slowly towards him. "I… Don't know… I'm… Not controlling that sand…" Yuri, Kankuro, and Temari all let their jaws drop at the same time.

Temari growled, remembering their previous conversation. "Are you _sure_ you're just not feeling super-over-posessive or something?"

Yuri stood up. "Maybe it was a one time thing? Maybe because… I don't know why, but maybe it was just… I don't know. Kankuro, try to touch my hand." She held out her hand. Kankuro reached forward hesitantly, and was fine until right before their skin would touch. Sand burst into being, reminding Gaara of when he was younger and had tried to prick his finger- to feel pain- but the sand had "protected" him. He remained silent with his connection.

Unfortunately, Yuri had been around him almost as long as the sand had, "This is the same reaction as when anything that could harm you gets near you, Gaara, so it must be subconscious or…" She hesitated, and seemed to change her mind, "Or just the sand itself. What I don't understand is why the sand… or your subconscious… would think of our teammates as a threat, though…" Temari glanced at Gaara warily, Kankuro nearly mirroring her expression. "But… I still have to report to the Kazekage on my scouting mission." Yuri looked up determinedly at Gaara, "I want to see something, so just hold still." He tilted his head, but then shrugged. She walked towards him and stopped less than a foot away from him. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his shoulder, and cringed. Warily, she opened her eyes. They widened ludicrously. "It worked! No sand at all! So therefore… Either it's _your_ subconscious controlling the sand, or the sand itself does not think you're a threat." Gaara, personally, thought it might have been the newly discovered part of himself that started screaming if she so much as brushed up against people. Yuri stifled a sigh as she glanced at Gaara's withdrawn and expressionless face. "Well, I'll see you after I report to the Kazekage. I don't think we should say anything about this until we understand it more." She bit her lip when Gaara didn't respond. "'Kay, then. See you later…" Turning, she walked quickly up the stairs. Temari eyed Gaara suspiciously before grabbing Kankuro's ear and pulling him up the stairs to a chorus of complaints from the black-garbed ninja. Gaara remained where he was, wondering at Yuri's expressions before she left.

…Had that been a flash of joy he saw when the sand protected her?


	8. Chapter 7

_...Had that been a flash of joy he saw when the sand protected her?_

* * *

Yuri tried desperately to calm her rapidly beating heart. _Is the sand protecting me because Gaara-_ She quickly stopped that thought, just because she loved him didn't mean he felt anything other than tolerance for her. They may have _been_ close, but memories were probably the only reason he allowed her to follow him around. She stifled another sigh and turned to look out the windows that lined the outside wall of this particular hallway. As she entered the Kazekage's office, she shook her head and tried to rid herself of the painful thoughts.

* * *

Gaara sat at the foot of the building waiting for his teammates. He may have been "off-duty" but he would NOT stop training. Or rather sparring- Temari and Kankuro were afraid to fight him when he used his sand. "Gaara..."

Gaara looked up at the owner of said voice, "Yes?"

Temari didn't look at him, continuing to stare at the horizon. "What did you mean before?"

Gaara's eyes narrowed, "When?"

Temari turned to glare at him, "When you said Yuri was 'yours!'"

Gaara blinked. "I assumed that my statement was clear."

Temari rolled her eyes and glared a bit harder, "I know that but what did you mean? You can't possibly mean that you 'possess' her! She's not an object!"

Gaara tilted his head, "That is exactly what I mean."

Temari took an involuntary step back. "You c- can't _own_ her, she's a living, breathing human, Gaara! If I have to, I'll help her run away, you can't t-treat her like an object!"

Gaara stood up, looking out over the city (the building is at the top of a hill). Sand exploded into being. "Do I need to eliminate you?"

Temari's eyes widened, "What?"

"If you try to take Yuri away from me, I will kill you. I will not let _anyone_ take her from me." He turned to look at her and Temari saw a fire that had never been there before, even in his manic moments, burning hatefully. "Do you understand?"

Temari nodded wordlessly, mouth open in shock. The almost dancing sand slowed and dissipated just as Yuri and Kankurou came out the door. Gaara's expression smoothed to apathy. Yuri threw an arm around Gaara's shoulders casually and Temari could have _sworn_ she had seen a smug look in his eyes before Yuri spoke, "Well. Apparently keeping it a secret from the Kazekage didn't work out. See, when his guard accepted the report, sand appeared between our hands even though they were a couple of inches apart." She shot a playful glare at Gaara, "The Kazekage said it would be helpful in missions and to let it be!" She shrugged. "I guess that's the end of that."

Temari shared a concerned look with Kankuro, "Don't you think we should still try though?"

Yuri tilted her head slightly, still leaning on Gaara, and privately surprised he hadn't moved away yet. "Why? It's not _hurting_ me, and I feel safe."

"Safe?" Temari asked incredulously, "Don't you know-"

Gaara's eyes suddenly blazed to life as he looked at Temari and she stopped speaking. "What was it you were saying?"

Temari's eyes widened visibly and she cringed, "I-it's nothing important."

Gaara narrowed his eyes and Yuri looked on obliviously with the air of one extremely confused.

Gaara said darkly, "If it is of import to you it is of import to us-"

Kankurou took Temari's hand, "We're dating."

Yuri and Temari both had the same reaction: total shock. Kankurou gave Temari a "go-with-it" look though, and she caught on quickly, "Yeah, I just wasn't sure how to tell you guys, and we wanted to go on a date today..."

Yuri's brow furrowed more, _Those two would _never_ get together! And that's a completely different topic!_ However, she smoothed her expression to happiness- she wasn't a kunoichi for nothing. "I'm so happy for you!"

Kankurou scratched the back of his head nervously as he smiled weakly, "We weren't sure you wouldn't feel lonely if we left you with our red-haired stick in the mud..."

"Oh, go on, the world needs a little more love!" Yuri plastered on her best fake grin and her two friends blushed furiously, which made the purple make up over Kankurou's cheeks look magenta.

"Um, yeah, so... Bye!" He ran off with Temari in tow, whispering to her, "We'll go to the library and you can tell me what happened before we came out."

Temari whispered back an affirmative.

* * *

Yuri crossed her arms and turned to look at Gaara. "What was all that about?"

Gaara shrugged, his face a mask of indifference.

Yuri narrowed her eyes, "I'll find out eventually..."

Gaara turned to her, "Shall we go spar? No jutsus or weapons."

Yuri growled and then sighed in defeat, "Fine. I will wear one of you down though."

Gaara walked off towards the training grounds and Yuri bit back an acidic statement before catching up. The walk took around ten minutes- spent in complete silence.

"No sand?" Yuri asked as they both took up offensive positions on opposite sides of the compacted dirt clearing.

Gaara gave a curt nod and lunged. Yuri twisted around, bringing her elbow down on his back, but when Gaara hit the ground he rolled to the side and sprang towards her, not bothering to get entirely to his feet. Yuri jumped over him and he skidded before turning around and blocking a high kick with his fore arm. He grabbed her leg and twisted, causing her to fall to the ground. She, however, kicked much like a donkey, forcing Gaara to release his hold on her foot and jump back. She leapt to her feet and they began to circle each other. Suddenly, Gaara feinted to the right before attacking straight on and pinning her to a rock. For a few moments they simply stared at each other. Sweat made Yuri's black training garments cling to her in a most becoming way, while Gaara's eyes seemed almost fever bright to Yuri. Gaara felt the urge to kiss her rise up in him, and started to fight it down before- _Why should I? If she is mine, I can do what I wish, right?_ He closed his eyes and almost viciously began to kiss her. Her gasp was lost in his mouth and he began to deepen the kiss, clutching her waist hard enough to leave bruises. For a moment, fear of rejection rose in him, but she began to respond, her kisses softer, more tender, as she wrapped her own arms around his neck. The part of him that kept screaming when she came near another person purred nearly evilly in his mind. He tightened his already painful grip on her and she responded by pressing herself closer to him. He could feel her heart beat racing, and for once, did not wish for it to stop.

"Oh my God."

* * *


	9. Chapter 8

**I just want to say that in this world, Temari is Gaara's older sister, but Kankurou is no longer related to them. I need him to be of different blood for a few plot points later on.**

**Dedicated to Gaaras1Girl.**

**Disclaimer: These characters have been disclaimed!**

**Anth: Psh, yeah right. Like you'd ever let go of _anything_.**

**Gaara: ...**

**Me: Hey, that's not true! I don't hang onto everything...**

**Anth: You can't let go of ticket stubs, grudges, memories, empty containers, dolls you were always afraid of, shirts that are far too small for you and-**

**Me: I donated those shirts!**

**Anth: ...**

**Me: Shut up and let the story start!**

_"Oh my God."_

Gaara whipped towards the sound, sand lashing out instinctively and wrapping around the intruder.

"G-Gaara-sama, let g-go!" The boy squeaked. Yuri glanced from Gaara to the boy, still slightly dazed. A flash of recognition could be seen in Gaara's eyes and he set the boy down.

"What is it you require?" Gaara asked monotonously, as if the past five minutes had never happened- although his eyes did seem brighter.

"I- I just wanted to see you spar and- and- I'm sorry..." The brown-haired boy hung his head sadly.

Yuri poked Gaara when he showed no sign of responding.

"What?"

"Tell him you accept his apology!"

"But I don't. I am distinctly annoyed he interrupted us."

Yuri sighed with a blush, "It's- just- it's good manners. Shinobi need good manners."

Gaara pondered this, then nodded decisively and turned to the boy. "I politely recline your offer of apology."

The boy fell over in surprise.

Gaara tilted his head, "Shinta? Did I kill you?"

The newly dubbed Shinta jumped up, "Nosiree Gaara-sama! I was just in complete and total shock, Gaara-sama!" Yuri felt like falling over herself.

"Why is he so....." She trailed off, unsure which words to use.

Gaara blinked, "I believe he was born the way he is." Shinta nodded and Yuri sighed, rolling her eyes good-naturedly.

"It makes sense that the only child you can stand to be around without killing is crazy..." She muttered.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Shinta bellowed surprisingly loud for a child who looked to be around eight, knocking himself over with the sheer force.

Yuri looked questioningly at Gaara, and he supplied apathetically, "His father was a Sound-nin."

Yuri nodded and went over to help the boy up but-

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT GAARA-SAMA?! ALL SHE TRIED TO DO IS HELP ME UP!"

Yuri rubbed the back of her neck with a small grin, "Eh, sorry. I forgot the sand is still doing that."

"WHAT?!" The boy attempted to stand against the back-lash of his own soundwaves- and failed miserably.

Gaara crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the rock he had recently cornered Yuri against. "My sand won't let her near anyone but me. Leave before I kill you."

Yuri glared at him for his ending without getting a response and hovered worriedly over the boy- who appeared unfazed by Gaara's death threat. "Your sand's s'pos'ta protect you, right? So maybe nee-chan being near anyone else would make you get hurt."

Gaara could almost see the mixture of joy and confusion building in Yuri's head and was unsurprised when she lept on him in a flying tackle-hug.

"That's the sweetest thing someone's subconscious has ever done for me!" She exclaimed, pecking him on the cheek.

Gaara's lips twitched slightly as she kissed his cheek and without any further ado, Shinta found himself being escorted away by a sand-clone.

"What's goin' on, Gaara-sama?" Shinta complained.

The sand-clone looked down apathetically,as it guided him to his home, "Training."

"Whaddaya mean? That's what I was tryin' to see when I walked in on you and that girl- ohhh..." Shinta smirked, "You're a sly dog, Gaara-sama."

The clone internally rolled its eyes and shoved the child towards his foster family before dispersing.

(o0o0o0o0o0o)

"So he's- what? Claiming his territory?" Kankurou questioned Temari urgently in the small ninja library just off the provided quarters for the genin of Suna.

Temari nodded absent-mindedly as she flicked through a book labeled, "The Family of the Jinchuuriki: A Guide for the Relatives of a Beast."

"Would you close that book and look at me?" Kankurou demanded, "Focus!"

"It says here that the jinchuuriki of the one-tailed beast can't love. It says that they're driven to madness and bloodlust is the only thing they live for. So why is Gaara so possessive about Yuri? I'm scared for her! Who knows what otout- Gaara will do!" Temari pulled off her bottom two hair ties and began wringing them nervously, "What if he kills her in some fit of rage or because it's the 'only way he'll have her forever?'"

"Temari, I know you think you know Gaara better than anyone, I mean, he's your brother, but what if he's changed for the better? What if he's fallen in love?" Kankurou suggested cautiously. "After all, no one _really_ knows him except Yuri, and even _she_ can't figure him out completely."

Temari's eyes flashed and she slammed her book shut, "You didn't hear the way he talked about her! Like she was some sort of toy or prize! He said she was 'his,' and that that was all there was to it! What if he's controlling that sand on purpose? Yuri may think it's helpful or something now, but later she'll grow tired of being unable to even shake someone's hand! You know what happens to people when they're deprived of a sense or emotion! They end up like- like my otouto!" Temari covered her face with her hands, "I can't let that happen again. I _won't_." Kankurou hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder.


	10. Chapter 10

**Dedicated to Gaaras1Girl. The only 1. The only! ;)**

**Diss the Claim: We don't want to play with it any more. I do not own the rights to anything in this except Yuri and the blurry man.**

**This is _very_ short, but it's just to show I'm alive and the plot is going to continue.**

Yuri wasn't sure how often she was supposed to think of herself. She never had much need to, after all. She didn't really need to eat or drink much.

Or breathe.

Yuri, in fact, made it a point to _never_ think about herself. Who knows what she'd discover? What she'd find to question?

Her first memory was waking up while walking up the drive to Gaara's house. She hadn't known it was Gaara's house then, but the blurry man who had been walking beside her told her that she was going to visit a little boy people called a monster.

"What's a monster?"

The knowledge flowed into her head along with the linguistics of the words she'd been using. _Monster: an inhuman creature with no soul; heartless._

The man had chuckled, "I know that look. Was your question answered?"

"Yes," Yuri held her head, slightly dazed.

"Now, I want you to remember something," He knelt down to her level, bringing his fuzzy outline closer to her, "You are Izumi Yuri, it sounds funny, and you want friends. More than anything you want friends."

"I do want friends," Yuri nodded.

"Specifically you want to be friends with the little boy in this house. Do you remember the game you played before?" He prompted.

Yuri's unfocused eyes flittered over the man's 'face,' "Before? Before what?"

The man's voice turned harsh, "Never you mind that. Do you recall the game?"

"You'll ask a question, and I'll answer truthfully, and back and forth until we run out of questions," Yuri's mouth replied without her. Suddenly she felt a deep seated fear of the man in front of her, but- she couldn't see him. She couldn't even see him! How could she remember him?

"Good, good. After that, you're on your own; do as you wish. Just remember, you want to be friends with this little boy more than anything."

"I do, I do want to be best friend with the boy more than anything," She replied urgently, realizing it was true and not understanding why.

"Yes, that's great. Keep it up. That is the most important part. Everything else, is _petals on the water._"

She didn't see the man again, but she wondered if the fuzzy feeling leaving her was supposed to do more than it had when he finished that last phrase.


End file.
